I think playing on a variety of surfaces helps. From pillows to carpet to mousepads to table tops and pads, if you can adjust to playing on different surfaces going back to a drum should be cake.

My Slimpad has helped this so much, I LOVE IT!

I play a slim pad now, and it does feel more like a snare. However, I think it's a little too loud. I'm going to get a moongel. Then I'll be able to play on about any surface.

Yeah dude. Moongels really build up your chops simply because of the fact that there is literally NO bounce.

Another thing that helps..well it helps me anyways, is switch up sticks. I mean practice what you play with you normal sticks, then switch to like 7A's or smaller, sometimes even brushes or hotrods. (ever tried doing infinity rolls with wire brushes?)Your hands never get used to the pad, and when you get on the drum it takes muck less effort to play it.

Yeah, switching sticks is great too! It takes a great deal of muscle control to play with smaller sticks. I spend about 30 to 50 percent of my practice time with 5a or 7a.

I don't like using lighter stick. It's like trying to bench 300, and working out with 75. It's going to take quite a while.

Now I'm taking a shoot in the dark because I've never done this. I believe that playing with lighter sticks may help. What happens is you work on playing something that's challenging technically(control problems) using lighter sticks so that it is easier to learn. Then when you have it down you switch over to heavier and heavier sticks until you're using the desired stick. Now I need to go try this out on something and see how it goes.

Another good thing that I found, is if you break a stick at a game or something, not every one has spare marching sticks, but they usually have something else (I carry 5A's for when I play quads) So if you are handed a different stick, you will be able to use it productively.